Now this is pretty neat. I am not a big proponent for taking out loans when you are getting started but it's interesting to see how lending trends change over time.

Would this be something that would interest you now or would have interested you when you got started?

Would a $25,000 loan have helped?

Small-business training course planned - Budding entrepreneurs with a business idea or small business owners looking for some help will have a chance to get up to speed on what it takes to run a successful company beginning next week.

The Neighborhood Economic Development Center will kick off its Small Business Training Course Jan. 10 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the NEDC office at 100 Washington Ave.

The 15-week course will give attendees a sense of what it takes to run a successful business, from pricing services and goods to insurance and legal issues.

The course began as a way to educate NEDC loan recipients about the challenges of running a business. The center's staff noticed several businesses were not prepared to deal with common problems.

Following completion of the course, graduates are able to apply for loans and other financial incentives from the NEDC. The center has loaned as little as $60 to help with a vehicle repair, to issuing a $25,000 loan guarantee for a start-up landscaping business.